The Next Generation
by MimiBanana
Summary: Solenne has a big secret and   maybe   Someone Special, Hugo has found a long-buried object, James is being pushed out of the spotlight, Zoey is having twin trouble and Lily is trying to help them all. The modern times are catching up with Hogwarts...
1. One

**Hi, so this is my new story, and I hope you like it! Please review with ideas and comments, they will be much appreciated! **

**The first few chapters are mostly just introducing the characters and stuff, but I promise that more interesting stuff will happen later on...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own many of these characters, or Hogwarts itself (sadly) but I do own Cleandra, Solenne, Zoey and Cherry.**

**Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the story!**

**One: Lily**

'Lily! Get down here this second! We've been waiting for ten minutes! LILY!' My mother's voice carried loudly up the stairs, and I sighed and shut the lid of my Muggle laptop, which had been my thirteenth birthday present.

'I'm coming!' I grabbed my jacket and quickly tied my long auburn hair into a ponytail. It was Friday evening, two days before me and most of my family would be going back to Hogwarts, our school. You probably wouldn't tell it to look at me, especially in the holidays, but I am a witch. In training, of course, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but a witch none the less, and the daughter of the famous Harry Potter, who, about twenty years ago, saved the world from the mercy of You-Know-Who, better known as Lord Voldemort, although Dad likes us to call us by his proper name in the house. This evening, me and my family (Dad, Mum, Albus and James) were going to our grandparents' house, the Weasleys, where we would spend the last weekend of our holidays with them and our cousins before all going down to catch the train together. I was excited to be going back to school, of course, to see my friends, but you always get used to the home comforts of the holidays, even though we're Underage and not strictly speaking allowed to use magic at home.

I raced down the stairs, almost knocking Mum down as she rushed up to drag me from my room. 'Lily Nymphadora Potter! Get into the living room this instant! Everybody else will already be there, for goodness' sake, and we'll be keeping them all waiting!' She took me firmly by my shoulders and propelled me into the living room as she spoke. Normally, Mum's quite laid back and relaxed, but obviously the last-minute rush of going back to school was stressing her out.

'Well, I'm here now,' I said, trying not to lose my temper. 'Chill out!' We went into the living-room where Dad and my two older brothers were waiting by the fireplace. We were going to be taking the Floo network to get to The Burrow, obviously. Dad smiled as I came in, and unscrewed the lid of the Floo powder that usually stood on the mantle-piece. I look quite like him, with pale-ish skin and large eyes, though mine are a mixture of his green and Mum's brown, a hazelly colour with green flecks. My hair, though a slightly darker shade, almost dark auburn (thank goodness) is still the characteristic Weasley ginger-ish colour, and I am medium height, almost as tall as my mother. I guess that some of the boys at Hogwarts think I'm kind of pretty, though it's hard to seem so when I'm standing next to my cousin, Solenne, who is perfect looks-wise and also really clever, though that's understandable since she's part Veela. One of my other cousins, Hugo, is in my year as well, and seems to worship me. I mostly stick with my ultimate best-friend, Cleandra Maye, and Hugo and Solenne tag along, too. I'm not wildly popular, like my oldest brother, James, who is Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but I have my own group of friends, which is better than none, at least.

Anyway, enough about me.

'Everybody know what we're doing?' Dad asked. 'James is going first, then Lily, Ginny, Albus and finally me. You kids take your trunks but Mum and I will take the animals and overnight-bags. Understand?'

'Yeah,' James replied in his relaxed, confident voice. He picked up his school trunk and slung his jacket over his shoulder, looking like he was modelling the school uniform. He took a pinch of Floo powder, threw it into the flames of the fire, which turned green. 'The Burrow,' he said in a clear voice, and he stepped forward into the fire. Seconds later, there was no sign of James ever being in the room, save for a crackle in the green flames.

It was my turn. I picked up my heavy trunk and walked toward Dad, who still held the pot of Floo powder in his hand. 'Now, Lily, are you sure you know what to do? Say it nice and loud, remember? 'The Burrow', just like that, OK?' Dad asked in a concerned voice. I smiled inwardly as I remembered the story of what had happened to him on his first time taking the Floo Network, and nodded.

'I'll be fine. I've taken Floo thousands of times before, Dad.'

'Only three, actually, Lils,' he reminded me. 'Be careful.' I nodded again as I took a pinch of the Floo powder, and stepped towards the fire.

'See you there, guys,' I said, throwing the powder into the fire and stepping in.

**Thank you for reading the first chapter! It gets better, I promise, just read on! I will post the next chapter ASAP. Thanks again!**

**Sundustgirl xXx**


	2. Two

**Here's the second chapter, guys! I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, even though as I said before, the first few chapters will be just introducing the characters as I am doing the story from some different points of view. Please review and comment!**

**Two: Solenne**

It was dark when we arrived at The Burrow, and cheery lights were shining inside the windows. I always like going to our grandparents' house, it feels much more homely than our other grandparents' house in France. And I was quite excited this time because in just two days, me, my cousins and friends would be going back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where we're training to become fully qualified witches and wizards.

'Come on, Solenne, don't just stand there! Granny and Gramps are waiting for us!' Corentin, my nine year-old brother, tugged at the sleeve of my pea jacket. I let myself be pulled towards the house by him and tried to keep hold of my weekend bag, as my trunk had been sent on in advance. I'm the only one in our branch of the family in Hogwarts at the moment, as Corentin won't be joining for two years yet, though he talks about it every day. I couldn't wait to see my cousins and have fun at Hogwarts, but at the same time I was dreading going. It's the boys that were the problem. I'm fine with Tintin and Hugo, and the rest of my boy-cousins, but the boys at school are just plain silly. They're at that age where the only thing their brains can process is stuff about girls, and they can't hold a conversation with one without staring at certain places, which really annoys me. I don't have a problem talking to boys, I mean, I'm not _that_ shy, but when they see a pretty face like mine (and I know I will have sounded utterly vain there, but I _am _part Veela so I have the right to be!) they immediately assume that I will be one of those girls who's obsessed by boys, like so many of the girls my age, when in fact, I much prefer to be curled up in a corner of the Gryffindor common-room with a good book than out in the corridors, flicking my hair and giggling like a maniac. Lily's practically the only sensible girl I know – even my older sister, Victoire, who is in her last year at Hogwarts, is always to be found giggling at the side of her faithful two-year boyfriend Teddy Lupin, and she's usually so mature and dignified.

Inside The Burrow, our grandparents' cosy little home, our Granny and Grandpa Weasley were sitting in armchairs by the steadily burning fire. Our cousins on Dad's side, Hugo and Rose, were helping their mother, Hermione, lay the table for our family feast. They all looked up when we came in, and their smiles lit the room and made it even more homely.

'Solly! Tintin!' Hugo came over to hug us, and I laughed when I saw his familiar sticky up hair and freckly face. I hugged him and Rose tightly, and we went upstairs with them to dump our bags.

'You and Lils will be sharing with me, in our usual room,' Rose said cheerfully. 'Your trunk's already here, Gran says.'

'Yeah, Mum said it would be easier to send it on in advance. My weekend bag's heavy enough!' I said, throwing the bag onto the bed which I always had when staying at The Burrow. 'I pity the poor Potters – Lily, Al and James have to Floo their trunks with them!'

'Well, they'll be here soon, I hope, and then we can eat,' Rose said. 'I'm starving!'

Hugo came in, after showing Tintin his room. 'Gran wants us downstairs,' he said. 'The Potters are expected any minute and dinner's on the table.'

Rose jumped up from the bed and we followed Hugo downstairs. The smell of a roast dinner wafted from the kitchen enticingly, and I felt my stomach growl.

'We haven't had anything to eat since we were at our house!' Corentin told Hugo and Rose. They looked at me, puzzled.

'Mum's just got her Muggle driving license, and she always insists on driving us _everywhere_, even if it's just down the road. It took us about 2 or 3 hours to get here!' I explained. Hugo and Rose were used to taking magical transport – even though their dad had a Muggle car and license, he preferred the quicker and easier magical means.

Rose shook her head sympathetically, and Grandma Weasley bustled in, two huge, steaming dishes of potatoes following her, hovering in the air as if being carried by invisible hands.

'Solenne! Tintin! You come all this way to spend the weekend with us before you go back to school and you don't come and say hello to your favourite grandmother first thing?' Corentin and I grinned and went to hug our grandmother.

'That looks delicious,' I remarked when she had let us go. 'When can we eat?'

'As soon as that daughter and son-in-law of mine arrive, though they're ten minutes late already,' Gran said, walking into the dining room with the potato dishes following her. 'Now, come and greet the rest of your family!'

In the living-room, which was in the same space as the big dining table, four adults were seated in armchairs. The first, our Grandpa Weasley, not in as good health as he used to be and slightly balding on the top, but with a smile that could probably send Dementors fleeing and a hug that just about cracked your bones, next to him, our mother and father, Bill and Fleur, my mother looking a bit out of place in the room full of ginger haired, freckly Weasleys but joining in the laughter with as much vigour as anyone else, and my father, his scars quite faded on his kind face and his ginger hair in its usual ponytail. Ron, Rose and Hugo's dad, gave us a tight hug as well, and soon everyone was seated in the living-room armchairs.

Hermione Weasley and my older sister, Victoire, were still laying the table. 'Solenne,' called Victoire sharply, 'Come and help instead of lazing around there. There's plenty of stuff to be done.' I unwillingly stood up and went into the kitchen, where piles of food and hot plates were waiting to be carried out.

Five minutes later, everyone was waiting to be seated, and our cousins, the Potters, were still not there.

'I swear, if Harry doesn't get his rear in gear and to The Burrow, I'm going to tuck in right now!' Ron said, laughing. Just then, there was a crack in the fireplace and my cousin James was standing in the flames, which had turned green.

'Sorry we're late,' he said, with a grin and a shake of his confidently messy hair. 'The others are on their way, and we've got our trunks with us. Can we eat soon?'

'Of all the cheek...' grumbled our Grandma, but she obligingly went to the fireplace to wait for the rest of the Potter family. Lily arrived next. She's in the same year as me and Hugo at Hogwarts, and really nice. She's not as popular as her brother James, Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but there's something about her that makes me want to be around her. I think that sometimes she gets a bit annoyed with me and Hugo following her around, but she really is so nice most of the time, and her best friend Cleandra's okay, too, though Hugo doesn't like her at all.

Lily stepped out of the fireplace quickly and put her weekend bag down on the floor with a sigh of comfort. It was clear that I was not the only one who lived for our family visits to The Burrow. We hugged tightly, after seeing each other every day, spending a few weeks apart makes a big difference, and me and Rose showed her up to our room and when we came back downstairs, the rest of the Potters were there.

My uncle, Harry, is the famous Harry Potter that you've obviously heard loads about. Or maybe not. About nineteen or twenty years ago, he defeated the evil Lord Voldemort and stopped him from taking over the world (that sounds a bit comic-booky, I know, but whatever) and generally causing terror, destruction and death in England and everywhere else. I have no idea what it was like to have lived in those awful times, but all the previous generation in our family do, and even though they don't talk about it often, shadows come over their faces when they do that make them look twice their age.

Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny and cousin Albus all went round the family, hugging everybody and saying how long it had been since we had all been all together like this.

Aunt Ginny, who is a darling and always makes a special effort to take me aside and say a few private words to me when we see each other, about school, or what's happened recently at our house. This time was no different.

'You're looking lovely, as always, Solly,' she said by the stairs. 'Are you OK?'

'I'm fine,' I said. 'I finished my History of Magic essay last night, and I hope I didn't make it too long, but I've also got my Charms observation to write up before I go back. How are you?'

'Oh, I'm OK,' she replied, smiling at my enthusiasm to my studies. 'Glad to see you're being a model student, unlike my eldest son.' I looked at her, my eyes asking for more information. What had James done? 'Do you know what James got in his last History of Magic test? 20%! Can you imagine how humiliating that was for me? He's dropping lower every term...he may be the star of the Quidditch team, but that isn't going to get him anywhere if he can't apply simple magic. I shouldn't be telling you this, I know...he just needs some coaching, just someone to sit with him and help, but they don't encourage that sort of thing at Hogwarts...' she shook her head, as if in lost in her own thoughts, then my Aunt looked at me. 'So, what's new at school then? Seen anyone you like? Any nice-looking boys around nowadays?'

I knew that she was just trying to be friendly, and to get her mind off her trouble with James, but she wasn't to know what a trial I was going through at school, every male head turned to look at your legs as you walk down the corridor...I set my jaw and must have looked pretty fierce when I answered tightly, 'Not really.' Aunt Ginny raised her eyebrows at my curt tone.

'Are you sure you're okay, Solly? You sound...angry? Annoyed? Are the boys giving you a hard time?' She asked, concerned.

'No, no, I'm just fine,' I said, and quickly excused myself.

Although I could feel her yes on me all through dinner, I tried to forget about my brief confusing moment and concentrate on having fun – the whole family was together again – at last!

'Wow, Gran,' said James as we sat down to eat. 'This is a _feast_! You and Gramps'll be pigging out on it long after us lot have left for Hogwarts!'

'I wouldn't be so sure, you cheeky young thing,' Gran said, laughing. 'The only reason I made this much is because I remember how little everybody else got to eat the last time we had a family get-together! I could hear your father's stomach rumbling all night! This will all be finished in five minutes, mark my words!'

She was right. Well, not _everything _disappeared in five minutes, but it didn't take long for the boys to start tucking in with gusto. James had thirds, Al had seconds, nine year-old Tintin asked for more meat and potatoes. Even I had seconds of pudding, though it's hardly surprising given the wonders my Gran can make with a mixing bowl and some eggs.

After dinner, everyone staggered upstairs to get a good night's sleep before the fun weekend to come. I think Rose was half asleep when we fell into our beds, and Lily didn't need long to start snoring quietly. I fell asleep quite a long time after, listening to the regular, heavy breathing of my beloved cousins.

**Another chapter finished! I am really enjoying writing this Fanfic, and I hope you are enjoying reading it, too! If you are, please review – any comments or advice will not go amiss!**

**Sundustgirl xXx**


	3. Three

**I'm writing this new chapter and even **_**I **_**am excited about what's going to happen next! Please review if you like it, and you can even review if you don't...I guess...**

**Three: Zoey**

'Zoey! That's _my _spot!'

'No, _I _bagsied it first!'

'Mum said I could have it yesterday!'

'Well Dad said _I _could go there last week!'

'Girls, that's enough.' My mother walked into the kitchen where me (Zoey Weasley) and my twin sister, Cherry, were fighting the old who-was-going-to-go-where one. I think that really, neither of us minded who went next to Merlin (who's our dog, by the way) on the Portkey journey to our grandparents' house.

'You know that you're only going to stay at The Burrow for the weekend as a treat,' Mum continued. 'Me and your father have got plenty of things to do at the moment with your two's first year at Hogwarts, and you know Dad's trying to get a new position at work. If you're going to squabble, we can just say no, and you won't go to join your cousins, or go to Hogwarts. I don't see why we didn't wait a year, like Professor McGonagall suggested.'

Cherry rolled her eyes, but at the mention of Hogwarts, we both fell silent. We know that we're only going this year because we begged, pleaded and wailed for the whole of the summer holidays. See, we're not strictly speaking eleven until the first day of September, which is when the Hogwarts term starts, but we both got a letter, anyway. Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, said that if we wanted, we were perfectly entitled to wait a year, but me and Cherry weren't having any of it. We were no way going to go to Muggle-school for a whole other year! We wanted to start our training straight away!

See, even though me and Cherry aren't proper witches yet, our parents both are and we know plenty about it to know what we want to do when we're both older (Cherry by twelve minutes). We're both going to be Minister (or do they say 'Ministress' when it's a lady?) for Magic in England, the first lady one (or two, in our case) that's ever been. But of course, before we can do that, we need to get An Education, so we don't want to wait a year to commence it.

'But, Mum, you can't just say we can't go,' said Cherry, pushing the borderline as far as she could (typical). 'I mean, we've got our wands and _everything._'

At the mention of our wands (mine ten inches, holly and springy, Cherry's eleven and a quarter inches, walnut and reasonably firm) which both lay upstairs in our Hogwarts trunks, unused save for a quick blast at Ollivander's (even though Dad says it's not really Mr Ollivander who runs it anymore) where we bought them. If we didn't go to Hogwarts this year, we wouldn't be able to use them for the year, either! The horror of it brought me to my senses and I stepped away from the Portkey, which was a saucepan. Cherry followed suit, hesitantly, and Mum, her eyebrows raised in a warning, walked out of the room.

'George! George! It's five to; the girls will be leaving soon!' I heard her calling up the stairs to Dad.

At the moment, he was spending hours on end in his study, coming out only for meals and looking pale and absent. When I asked him what the matter was, he picked me up onto his knee like I was five years old, stroked my hair and said, 'It's something wonderful and magical, Zoey. Something even more wonderful and magical than you have ever seen before. It will change the wizarding world forever...' and then, with a faraway look on his face, walked off, back into his study. I hoped he'd be finished his project soon – I was getting a bit worried about him.

'Just coming, love! Just coming! Oops!' There was a crash from upstairs, and a loud bang. I wondered what the neighbours would think. Dad came out of his study, eyebrows smoking and his ginger hair slightly sticking up. I looked at Cherry, who giggled – he looked exactly like a mad scientist, except that he didn't have one of those white coat things. 'Just a temporary problem, nothing to worry about,' he said to Mum and he came down the stairs, two-by-two as usual. Sometimes I wonder if he ever grew up. Granny Weasley says he didn't.

Dad smoothed down his hair and brushed some dust off his jumper. Most people would think he looked a bit weird – they're not used to seeing a guy with one ear – but we just love him all the more. Just because he was distracted from...well, the world at the moment didn't mean that he wasn't a good dad. He was trying to get a promotion at the Ministry of Magic, where he worked, and wasn't quite himself. Me and Cherry would miss him when we went to Hogwarts.

'Now, girls, you're quite sure you'll be OK on your own?' he asked. 'You know how busy me and Mum are at the moment, or else we'd have loved to come with you, but when you get there, you'll be with the family, so I'm sure you'll be fine.'

'Yes, Dad,' me and Cherry said at the same time. We're not that alike for twins most of the time, but sometimes we get those funny wow-we're-twins moments. We do look quite alike, though. We've both got the creamy-pale skin and gorgeous, silky black hair from our Chinese mother, (although mine is quite long and more wavy, and Cherry prefers her straighter hair in two slightly shorter bunches) the green eyes from the Weasleys and slim, slight bodies which are both supple and athletic. Cherry's face has a sprinkle of light freckles over it while mine is clear, and she has got a _crazy _fashion sense (all clashing colours and un-matching over-the-knee socks), where as I am usually more reserved and sensible. I couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts and start broomstick flying, though. Neither of us could.

'And you must remember to be polite,' said Mum. 'No shouting, snatching, fighting or answering back. Do what the adults tell you to; eat everything that's on your plate and no talking with your mouths open. Don't get into too much trouble, because I know that a little bit is unavoidable, and we'll meet you at King's Cross on the first with your trunks and the rest of your school stuff. Now, Cherry,' she handed Cherry a green bag, 'And Zo,' she gave me my purple version. 'Remember to take Rufus to the station with you, and don't let him eat anything he shouldn't.'

We each took a hold of the Portkey, sensing it was time to go, and Cherry hooked a hand under Rufus's collar.

'We'll see you soon, angels,' was the last thing Dad called after our rapidly diminishing forms. 'Say hi to Harry for me!'

Being transported by a Portkey is like being on a fun-fair ride, but it's free and there's much more chance of you vomiting afterwards. Every time we had taken Portkeys so far, me and Cherry had both thrown up, without fail. Mum had asked Granny Weasley to be waiting out in the yard to take us inside as soon as possible when we had arrived, and still was a bit worried about us going alone, but me and Cherry had promised that we'd try not to be sick this time, because spending a weekend with you cool cousins who all (except for little Corentin) go or had gone to Hogwarts. Cherry and I were sure to be bombarding them with questions once we got there, and we were always perfectly fine after the vomiting had stopped.

We spun around as if in a washing-machine for what seemed like forever, and I felt my head getting dizzier and dizzier, and my stomach getting more and more confused – which way was up and which way was down?

We landed with a slight bump on the swept yard of The Burrow, where I could see our Gran waiting for us out of the corner of one dizzy eye. Why was she standing upside down? Our weekend bags were thrown to either side and Rufus lay down, panting heavily. Cherry was promptly sick and the smell got to my nostrils pretty quickly. I threw up not long after, and I heard Gran calling Uncle Ron and Harry to come and help us into the house and I kept my eyes closed as I felt the horrible sensation of being picked up. I heard a door swing open and I was lain down on something soft – the sofa?

'Zo? Can you hear us?' Uncle Harry's voice. I tried to open one eye, and the world spun fiercely. I heaved and just managed to stop myself from being sick again, but kept my eyes tight shut until the feeling the world was spinning uncontrollably passed. Cautiously, I opened my eyes again. Thankfully, my motion sickness was over.

'Zoey! It's been ages!' said Harry, beaming at me from behind his familiar glasses.

'How are you feeling?' Uncle Ron asked. 'Whoops, stupid question.'

I laughed weakly. 'A bit dizzy. It's nice to see you guys again.'

Cherry, who was sitting up on the other sofa, asked, 'When's breakfast? I'm starving. Me and Zo haven't eaten this morning!' Gran shushed her and went into the kitchen to fix us up a full-English, no doubt. I smiled to myself.

'The others are out walking at the moment, but they should be back in about half an hour. They'll be starving, too!' laughed Uncle Ron.

'Where's Rufus?' Cherry asked, her strength coming back and the healthy colour flooding into her cheeks once more. Her talkativeness came back too, unfortunately. 'Is he OK? Did Dad tell you what food to buy? Oh, Zo, we forgot to bring his Slipper! Never mind, he can borrow mine – I brought my old ones, too...where's Aunty Ginny? Have you remembered that it's our birthday on Monday? Gosh, that's only two days away!'

Our uncles laughed, and I sat up on the sofa, feeling a little better. This was going to be an awesome weekend.

**Hope you liked that chapter! Review if you want to!**

**Sundustgirl xXx**


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